| Tellyourtestimony URL: |
| http://www.tellyourtestimony.com/roadridersteve |
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| Steve's Journals |
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Steve does not current have any journals.
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| Marketplace Ministry |
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Promote and advertise your business, events, music and talents. Posting is Free.
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DAYS OF PRAISE RALLY
4th ANNUAL
September 11-14 2008
Pinecrest Camp, Cherokee Pass, MO
What do motorcyclists like? How about Bike Shows, Guided Tour Rides, Accessory Vendors, Games, Motorcycling Activities, Great Food, and most of all, Great Fun. Where can motorcyclists find all these type of activities? At a motorcycle Rally of course.
Part of our mission in The Road Riders for Jesus is to reach out to those who are spiritually lost. What better opportunity to minister to them, than by gathering together at a motorcycle rally for the whole family . In addition to all the typical rally there will also be evangelistic services to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus with them. "When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them..." (Matthew 9:36). Contact us for any specific questions you may have. Contact us for registration information.
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| Contact Information |
| Contact Name: |
Carl |
| Contact Title: |
National Director |
| Email Address: |
carl.crackel@roadridersforjesus.org |
| Address: |
Pinecrest Camp |
| City, State, Zip: |
Cherokee Pass, MO N/A |
| Country: |
United States |
| Phone: |
636-285-9005 |
| Fax: |
N/A |
| Website: |
www.roadridersforjesus.org |
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Steve's Comments:
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Posted: 10/3/2008 10:09:57 PM
Steve, Thanks for sharing your testimony and reaching those who the church might never reach. You are an inspiration and a reminder that God has a plan for each and every one of us to be a witness for him! Thank you! TYT
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| Status Update |
Steve is blessed beyond belief
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Carrie says:"Here I am Lord Take me. Use me. Send me out. I am willing, I am able" 3 hours ago...
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Carrie says:"Here I am Lord Take me Use me. Send me out. I am willing I am able. 3 hours ago...
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Carrie says:"Here I am Lord Take me Use me. Send me out. I want to go into the dark places and show 3 hours ago...
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Scott is working on a cool new feature for the site! 5 hours ago...
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Ryan is relaxing at home tonight 6 hours ago...
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| Steve's Testimony |
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Road Riders for Jesus National Evangelist Steve Carr
I am the second of three children born to caring parents in Southern Illinois. My father was an over-the-road truck driver and my mom stayed home. Childhood friends viewed us as “the Cleavers.”
When I was ten-years-old, I suddenly awoke to my mom crying. I went downstairs and discovered my uncle and grandma were with my mom and also crying. I was shocked to learn that my dad had been killed by a drunk driver. From that point on our lives were forever changed. My mom had to go to work and because she made considerably less than my dad, our lifestyle was drastically reduced; I have tearful memories of not having enough to eat. My brother, on the other hand, who had always been an honor student, ended up in reform school within two years. Faced with foreclosure, my mom felt pressured to marry a man that I didn’t get along with.
Before long, I also found myself going down the path of destruction. By eighth grade I had run away from home three times. I also burglarized homes and businesses, stole cars, drank, took drugs, and when the anger inside me was ready to explode, I would get into fights. In short, I was a mess.
On my way to a party one night, during my sophomore year in high school, I saw six police cars pull up to the house I was about to visit. Looking for a place to hide, I remembered that the Jesus freaks from my homeroom had been inviting me to their coffee house, which happened to be the next block over. I was certain the police would never find me there. To my surprise, everyone was very welcoming. I also noticed that there was a cute girl playing guitar and singing. While getting more comfortable by the moment with this group, I still wasn’t prepared for what happened before the evening was over. Instead of the police finding me, Jesus found me and I gave Him my soul. By the end of the evening, I prayed with those Jesus Freaks for Jesus to rescue me from a life that was on the fast track to destruction and immediately felt different. Jesus’ exhortation in John 3: 3 explains my experience: "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again" (NIV).
The first person to hear about this change in me was my grandma. Up to this point, God was only mentioned at home as a cuss word. Fortunately for me, my grandma had been praying for me and guiding me toward God for years. Her inner and outer joy was often an inspiration to me. She would frequently tell me something that she thought was important and follow it up with, “When I am dead and gone you’ll remember that your grandma told you that.” She was right. Her words come back to me at the most unexpected times.
Over the next year and a half God steadily worked to change me on the inside and it became noticeable on the outside. He gave me a hunger to spend time with Him. Reading the Bible, praying and handing out Gospel tracts were part of my daily activities.
Through a series of events, I found myself in a dispute with my youth group leader at the church I was attending. I challenged his authority and before the evening was over we ended up in a fight. Instead of taking responsibility for my thoughts and resulting actions, I shifted the blame onto God for what had happened. Reasoning from my immature mindset, I decided to punish God and quit going to church. Before long, I had turned my back toward God and began to entertain deceptive thoughts that assured me I was right and God was in the wrong. As my heart grew harder toward God again, I became convinced that my turning away was the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Thus, my backsliding experience left me believing that my relationship with Jesus was over and all hope, that is only “in Him,” was gone. As a result of such distorted thinking, I became wilder and more self destructive than ever before.
Drug use started again. Dealing drugs became my daily activity so I didn’t have to buy my own “pain killers” (believe me, without Jesus, I needed them). Thousands of dollars would go through my hands each week yet there was never anything to show for it – including permanent relief from guilt and shame. Most “good people” wouldn’t have anything to do with me because any sin you could think of I was probably doing, or it was on my active “to do” list.
Eventually I got married to Randa and we had our first child. Being a husband and father didn’t change my self-centered lifestyle or my desire to ignore God and His standards. Not surprisingly, our marriage was a disaster as we argued and carried on about anything and everything. One day, after a particularly bad argument, Randa took our daughter and left. She stopped by the church of our daughter’s babysitter (who had been witnessing to my wife) and by the end of the evening Randa had asked Jesus to become her Lord and Savior. When Randa came home and told me what had happened, to her surprise (and mine) I was thrilled for her. Suddenly it dawned on me that the Spirit of God hadn’t left me! Hope flooded me as I realized that this truth explained why I felt such joy for Randa’s new life in Jesus. Within two weeks I humbly asked for God’s forgiveness and started living my life for Him.
My life changed quickly after my recommitment to Jesus. I stopped taking most drugs immediately but kept smoking marijuana because I was convinced that it was a natural substance created by God for my relaxation. However, God didn’t quite see it that way. A man we had met at church called one day and said he was in the area and wanted to stop by to get to know us better. In preparation for his visit, I went through the usual scurrying around the house to pick things up and to make sure all my pot and paraphernalia were hidden. As I was getting ready to place the “stash can” into its inconspicuous location, I heard a voice say, “If you really think it is OK to smoke pot, why not take that stuff out of its dark hiding place and put it all on the coffee table for everyone to see!” I suddenly saw my delusion as God saw it and realized I had chosen to believe lies (again) to protect fleshly desires (Galatians 5). I immediately destroyed the contents of that box. That very day God gave me total deliverance from pot because I listened to His voice, believed and obeyed.
God also placed Rick Hollman, an associate pastor from our church, in my life to help me learn how to minister to others. This pastor would routinely invite me to go with him on visits to hospitals, nursing homes and private residences. In the beginning, I’d just go with him and observe. Over time, however, my faith became stronger as I watched God work on behalf of those we visited. The two of us would also share the Gospel at festivals, door to door in neighborhoods, concerts, the mall, and anywhere else the Lord led us. I’ll never forget the first time God allowed me to pray with someone to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. I was so humbled by what I had witnessed that day that I cried all the way home.
Ten years later and now the father of three more children, I went on a 30 day work assignment to Connecticut to earn some extra money. While in Connecticut, God impressed upon us to move there. A good friend of ours, Steve Craig, was starting a local chapter for a motorcycle ministry. With envy I watched as he reached out to bikers for Christ. However, I avoided getting involved because the bikers reminded me of my previous lifestyle before Christ and I feared backsliding. My friend kept asking me to join up with their ministry and, finally, I agreed to go with him for just that one day. God immediately revealed to me that this was, indeed, the ministry he had been training me for.
In 1998 my mother became increasingly ill and we felt compelled to relocate our family to Illinois so our kids could get to know her better. Almost immediately we got involved in a motorcycle ministry. Over the next few years God blessed our efforts to minister to the lost bikers. God also added to our numbers through the many bikers who came to know Jesus intimately as Lord of their lives and Savior of their souls. Jesus’ words became magnified in my mind, "You say, 'Four months more, and then it will be harvest time.' But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest right now’” (John 4:35 NIV). Gradually, however, I felt that Jesus was calling me to do something that I would not be able to accomplish within the Christian motorcycle ministry I was with. I felt that my new calling was to start a different motorcycle ministry. However, it soon became evident that was not God’s plan.
While praying one day, it was revealed to me that God was calling me to come alongside another Christian leader and help him expand what God had initiated through him. Carl Crackel and the “Road Riders for Jesus” ministry immediately came to mind. While Carl and I have many differences in background and experiences, our complimentary vision for a motorcycle ministry solidified that God had placed us together to work for Him through RRJ. Upon this confirmation, Randa and I joined RRJ in the position of National Evangelists, positions we still hold today.
God has been very good to me and my family - despite all my short-comings. His Light has always illumined my every step and turn and sometimes miraculously made a way when there seemed to be none. I am very thankful for all He has done for me. More importantly, however, I am thankful that God loves me so deeply and completely.
There have been many difficult times in my life since I came to Christ; obstacles that would fill volumes. However, during these times I have been frequently consoled by James 1: 2-4, “My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need” (NIV). In light of all I have experienced and observed, I can honestly say I have no reason to doubt any of God’s promises.
Steve Carr and his wife Randa are parents of four children: Danielle, Caleb, Micah and Elijah, and also grandparents to Zachary. Steve has been employed as a nurse for most of the past 20 years. Randa is an artist and musician and home schools their children. Steve and Randa are ordained ministers through Anchor Bay Evangelistic Association and have served as the National Evangelists for the Road Riders for Jesus Motorcycle Ministry since September of 2002. During that time the Carrs have watched in awe as God has taken RRJ from a local group of 130 people to a national organization of 2000 with promise of continued growth. Their home church is Eastside Family Church in Troy, IL.
My job is to travel the country on my motorcycle telling others about Jesus.
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Steve's Testimony Info
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Which categories of people did you belonged to before you were saved?
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The Partier, The Unaware, The Intellect, The Hippy
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| Who have been your best examples? |
Rick Hollman, Pastor Todd Foster of COTR New Haven, Dr Maurice Hart Anchor Bay Evangelistic Assn.
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| List books, music or ministires that have helped your walk |
The ministries that have helped me most are the Road Riders for Jesus Motorcycle Ministry, No Greater Love Ministry and the churches I have attended.I have been helped by the Bible (obviously) and several books by Francis Frangiapane.
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| List ministries you are involved with. |
I am the National Evangelist for the Road Riders for Jesus Motorcycle Ministry. I also take an annual mission trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with No Greater Love Ministry.
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| List ministry websites. |
www.roadridersforjesus.org
www.nogreaterlove.org
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Church:
Church Website:
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| Prayer Requests: |
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| Occupation/Business/School: |
National Evangelist
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| Business Website: |
www.roadridersforjesus.org
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